Large corporations get most of the publicity when it comes to cybercrime and hacking. But cyber criminals are also targeting small businesses. Security industry research shows that over 40% of cyber attacks last year targeted small businesses and this is increasing. That’s why Two-Step Authentication is an important security measure you need to take. Businesses get subjected to a constant barrage of phishing scams and malicious software attempting to steal user account names and passwords. So it’s vital that businesses everywhere ensure they have strong security practices to keep their information secure. Security is an issue that everyone needs to take seriously. Two-Step Authentication (2SA) is available to all Xero customers to provide an additional layer of security for your Xero user accounts. Using two-step authentication significantly reduces the risk of your Xero account becoming compromised if your password gets stolen by phishing or malware. Watch the video below to see how to setup and use Two-step...

Xero launches new expenses and projects The cloud accounting provider makes its “biggest ever” announcement of new apps and features. Xero expenses The idea behind Xero expenses is that a user captures a receipt, and “we’ll take care of the less,” Xero expenses lead Samyak Shah told Xerocon 2017 attendees. Xero has developed a separate mobile app for expenses, as most employees don’t need access to other accounting-related functions. This app, for iOS and Android, lets a user photograph a receipt and submit it as an expenses claim. Behind the scenes, Xero extracts the relevant data and creates a corresponding transaction. Alternatively, the transaction can be entered in the traditional way via the main Xero web application, in which case the item can be entered on behalf of another person. Either way, claims can be approved by an authorised person via the app or the web, and then approved claims can be paid as a batch or individually. Other features of Xero expenses include reports such as a bar graph of a person’s expenses by category. Xero expenses is now live for selected users ahead of a general rollout. Plans for further development include the addition of mileage claims. Xero projects Xero projects is designed to make it easy to capture, track and report on the time and money spent on each job. Features will be added to support different market segments, to include architects, engineers, and larger accounting and legal firms. Small business in Australia is fragmented and diverse, said Xero Australia managing director Trent Innes, so there will still be opportunities for boutique project management products...